As a youngster and throughout adulthood, I've always been a bit listener. Moreso as a kid but even still today at times. I'd hear a tune on the radio, go buy the record for that one segment of that one tune, rush home and listen to that specific 15-25 second segment of one tune. Over and over and over again, for weeks or even months or years. Sometimes I'd discover multiple bits in 2-3 different tunes on the same record and that was like strikin' it rich. After several weeks of that fixation, I'd pry myself away to explore the rest of the album.Then I'd hear something new, buy more music, rush home and bit listen, rinse and repeat. While I still bit listen today, I spend more time listening in depth to an entire CD over and over for weeks or months. I'm sure I picked this up from my father who was a jazz composer. Bit listening has been around forever but I don't run across many who listen like this. Believe me, I didn't make alot of new friends this way.

This is my first forum ever and I'm trying to be careful not to post a duplicate. If I slip up, my apologies.
How do you most enjoy or prefer to listen?

That's interesting, but I don't think I've ever done that. I suppose, if I'm setting out to learn specific parts to play a tune, I'll concentrate on the bits that need the concentration, but when I'm learning songs, I learn the whole song. I look at every song like a poem, and the author is trying to say something within that framework. If I just listened to bits of what he was saying, the whole message of the song is lost, like when people take things out of context. So for me to give an accurate rendition of a song, I need to get the whole vibe.

I need to look at what you're saying though. Now I'm wondering if I ever did any bit listening. But I tend to recall entire tunes as opposed to favorite bits.

"I suppose, if I'm setting out to learn specific parts to play a tune, I'll concentrate on the bits that need the concentration, but when I'm learning songs, I learn the whole song."

I was thinking the same thing as I typed this. I remember many musicians with my father frequently bit listening and re-playing bits often- in rehearsal and in the studio. In fact, it was not at all uncommon to have a bit listening party after hours and pound a few martinis while you were at it. And during these bits, the room was absolutely silent. So many of our greats were hell bent for "bits".

What you're saying makes complete sense. Why then do you think so much emphasis was placed on bit listening from a musical construction (composers) standpoint? Was "bit" listening more significant than we may know?

I just grew up bit listening, it's just as natural as getting dressed in the morning. For me, it's mostly always been from the listening end. It's an addiction and it's euphoric.. it's very hard to describe. Bit listening is my drug... lol. I've just not run into hardly anyone who has ever heard of it.

In my teens, I would frequently listen to one or two songs from an album over and over and over for months, but I don't think I've ever just listened to small sections of songs over and over. I'm sure I'd sometimes rewind and listen to a guitar solo or riff or other cool section a few times, but not for any extended period of time.

I've always liked the intro bits to a lot of old Heavy Metal songs because they were usually very melodic. For example, the first time I came home with Metallica's And Justice For All cassette (I'm dating myself), the intro to Blackened just floored me with its awesomeness!
The rest of the song was OK, but I would listen to that intro over and over. It's kinda that way with the Battery intro too on the Master of Puppets record. I still enjoy those parts over the rest of the songs.

I do bit listen, but only if I'm skimming something to see if it's possibly close to what I like or not. The moment something catches my attention, I go completely the other way, & take in as much context as possible. Specifically, I like to listen to a complete album or other piece of work as it was presented in full by the artist. So much of the stuff I listen to is great as individual songs/pieces, but even better in context with the whole package. Think "Holst, The Planet Suite" as a very obvious example, or maybe The Tubes, "The Completion Backwards Principal". Applies very much to videos of live performances too. There's often a story, a theme, a journey, that's more attractive than individual songs/pieces. I often use thinking that the very best of anything is always greater than the sum of it's parts. By bit listening, I think you're missing out :(

I made a collection in iTunes that is of pop songs that I like....or to be more specific, pop songs that I like parts of. It happens a lot where the chorus will be way better than the verse, or vice-versa. Or maybe it's got a bridge, or a hook that's interesting.
I don't do the repeat repeat repeat thing, but I have been known to skip entire sections to get to the part I like.

I made a collection in iTunes that is of pop songs that I like....or to be more specific, pop songs that I like parts of. It happens a lot where the chorus will be way better than the verse, or vice-versa. Or maybe it's got a bridge, or a hook that's interesting.
I don't do the repeat repeat repeat thing, but I have been known to skip entire sections to get to the part I like.

Mikey's statement above describes and simplifies what I didn't-

What I failed to convey is while bits are just that, parts of a tune one may appreciate most and knock the listener's socks off, it doesn't imply the essence and scope of the entire piece or album for that matter, isn't given complete consideration at one point or another. It just may not occur at that moment. Sometimes the bit is the "whisk you away" the catalyst, the door opener to further and often much greater intrigue, complete and equal appreciation for all parts of that particular tune, whether you like the tune or not. No individual piece is ever just left skimmed through or skipped over. I started listening in depth at about age 6 for hours upon hours in a day, every day. Entire recordings of enormous variety. I was the kid with many worn out records like so many of you. I think too, it has to do with one’s musical environment and upbringing. I was taught to listen, listen, listen deeply and intently. I’m thinking this is how and why bits were so appreciated and heavily embraced in earlier times. I was introduced to bit listening to develop my ear. As some posters have commented that by bit listening, you’re missing out. This is entirely true, if you let it. But as I've explained, it's just one part of the listening process, not the entire process. In fact, I’m recently guilty- example- Hiram Bullock’s (RIP) ‘Way Kool’ album.

I’ve had this “Way Kool” CD for a long time, but couldn’t find it for a long time and maybe forgot I owned it. Just recently found it incorrectly alphabetized. I was thrilled. So I slip it in and while listening, I stumble upon a part, a bit that just knocked me ass over tea kettle. A driving monster of a groove with keys, bass and drums, right off the bat. I bit listened several times and then moved on to the entire CD. I’ll re-visit this closely when I have more time.
It’s simply one small yet intimate and intricate part of the big listening picture, for me. It sounds as though many have bit listened to one degree or another. It’s music, how can we not?

I was definitely a bit listener back when I was really into fusion-y stuff. I think that's because so many cool snippets would come and go within a larger piece that was otherwise unremarkable to me. That process has informed my current tastes and approach to composition where I'm after whole songs that are a series of magic moments. Anything less just isn't finished ;)

I've always liked the intro bits to a lot of old Heavy Metal songs because they were usually very melodic. For example, the first time I came home with Metallica's And Justice For All cassette (I'm dating myself), the intro to Blackened just floored me with its awesomeness!
The rest of the song was OK, but I would listen to that intro over and over. It's kinda that way with the Battery intro too on the Master of Puppets record. I still enjoy those parts over the rest of the songs.

I too appreciate those intros you're speaking of and for the reasons you mention. : )

I was definitely a bit listener back when I was really into fusion-y stuff. I think that's because so many cool snippets would come and go within a larger piece that was otherwise unremarkable to me. That process has informed my current tastes and approach to composition where I'm after whole songs that are a series of magic moments. Anything less just isn't finished ;)

This is a most profound statement relative to this subject and more concise than I could ever have possibly stated it.
MikeM ... wow : )

The "bit" that first came to my mind when reading this thread is the 20 second intro in "Tea for One" by Led Zeppelin.
I'm like that to, where some passages of music just speak to me on a deep level, where I rewind it over and over again.

This confirms my theory that the media, especially TV, has reduced our attention span to 15 to 20 seconds tops.

I have to say this is the first time I've ever heard of this. Interesting.

It's not so much about medias in any kind of forms Uncle Larry, or the listening attention we're able to cope with, it's more about a part of a song, lick, pattern, leitmotif, feel or whatever that you fall in love with.

You want to listen to that particular part over and over, it's like falling in love with a detail of a painting, while you're still appreciate the whole picture, that tiny "bit" is inspiring, both musically, artistically and emotionally.

You play the "bit" again and again to capture the "essence" of the inspiration and hopefully include it in your playing.

See, this is what the "hook" is! I wouldn't call it "bit" listening so much as really identifying with good hooks in songs and being fascinated by them. I love a well-crafted hook, but to me, if the rest of the song can't match up to the hook, I'm not going to care for the song as a whole.

A song I often hold up as perhaps the best-crafted pop song in recent memory is "Don't Speak" by No Doubt. If a hook is that part of the song you catch yourself humming, then that song is one seamless set of hooks from start to finish.

... now you're pulling it up on iTunes and/or humming it to yourself, aren't you?

What gets me is when a great atmosphere is established in the verse and is spoiled (IMO) by a goofy, hooky chorus, eg.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
We've Got to Get Out of This Place
Ferry Across the Mersey

Like Mikey I don't repeat bits but I won't persevere with music I'm not in the mood for. I sometimes trim MP3s where the endings go on for about 5 mins too long. Life's too short to sit through 5 mins of hippie chanting - unless you're part of the powwow, of course :)

It drives me bonkers when someone plays a song over and over. I always want to move on. I mean, I'll have favorite songs of the moment of course, and sometimes I'll play just the one song, but I'll generally move on after I've heard it again. Most often, I'll listen to whole albums. I like to hear the way songs are put together and see how the landscape of the song takes shape, I'm almost more interested in transitions between parts than any particular part.

That's interesting, but I don't think I've ever done that. I suppose, if I'm setting out to learn specific parts to play a tune, I'll concentrate on the bits that need the concentration, but when I'm learning songs, I learn the whole song. I look at every song like a poem, and the author is trying to say something within that framework. If I just listened to bits of what he was saying, the whole message of the song is lost, like when people take things out of context. So for me to give an accurate rendition of a song, I need to get the whole vibe.

I need to look at what you're saying though. Now I'm wondering if I ever did any bit listening. But I tend to recall entire tunes as opposed to favorite bits.

...well said Bo. I've thought of songs as short stories or poem's myself.

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" A fool is like the big drum that beats fast but does not realize it's hollowness."

I definitely don't bit listen though there are parts in songs I know are coming up that I eagerly await. But, I don't isolate any "bit" and repeat over and over.

To the contrary, I'm someone that puts on a CD to actively listen to the entire thing. It's rare I have music on as background noise unless I'm on the computer or something. Most times I listen to music in the way some people watch a movies or intently watch a TV show. I focus on what's happening.